Courgette Archives - Coconut and Berries

Courgetti Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Grilled Corn & Herby Dressing

If you grow your own veg you’re probably more than familiar with out-of-control courgette plants that don’t seem to stop producing! What at first seems like a blessing becomes a curse in mid-summer as you struggle to keep up with your harvest and find ways to keep things interesting in the kitchen.

Courgetti to the rescue! If you haven’t jumped on the courgetti bandwagon already, summer’s definitely the time to do so.

For the uninitiated, courgetti is simply courgettes turned into noodles or spaghetti with the help of a nifty gadget called a ‘spiralizer’, or just a julienne peeler. It makes a wonderful, light alternative to traditional wheat pasta and can be dressed up in all manner of ways to make a healthy meal or side dish. It’s also a great way to make a dent in the growing pile of courgettes . . .

This courgetti salad celebrates the bounty of summer vegetables, using fresh grilled corn on the cob and cherry tomatoes, so sweet and flavourful that they need no cooking at all.

A quick herby dressing brings everything together – I’ve used parsley and chives here but use whatever leafy herbs you can find in the garden or at the farmer’s market.

This is a lovely side for summer barbecues but equally good served with some crusty bread or just a scattering of toasted nuts for a light lunch.

I created this recipe for the Great British Chefs website. Head over there for the full recipe.

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Vegan Persian Frittata

Writing my “All about Chickpea Flour” post earlier this week gave me the chance to delve through my recipe archives and rediscover some forgotten favourites. I’m constantly creating new recipes so I don’t often repeat old ones, despite how successful they are. Amongst the recipes I highlighted were my Tofu Omelettes (Pesto-Ricotta with Cherry Tomatoes) and I couldn’t get the idea of making something similar out of my head.

I’ve made vegan frittatas before, including my Roasted Vegetable one, but thought I’d add a little bit of a Middle Eastern twist this time as it’s been a long time since I’ve experimented with those flavours.

I feel like recipes with foreign names often sound more complicated than they necessarily are and frittatas are definitely one of them, even vegan-style! I use a simple base of tofu and chickpea flour which I spiked with ginger, garlic and fresh herbs. I sprinkled it generously with tangy, lemony sumac for a little extra jazziness.

You can either bake the frittata in the oven or cook it on the stovetop if you don’t have an oven-proof pan.

Vegan Persian Frittata

Yield: 4 Servings

Vegan Persian Frittata

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Onion, chopped
1 Clove of garlic, minced
2" Fresh ginger, peeled and minced/grated
1 Large courgette OR 2 small, sliced into half moons.
1 350g/12oz pkg Silken tofu
2 Tbsp Nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1/3 C Almond milk
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Black salt (This gives it the "eggy" taste. Highly recommended)
1/2 C Chickpea flour
1 Tbsp Arrowroot
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley
Sumac

Instructions

Warm the olive oil in a large pan (oven-proof if baking) over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
Add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook, stirring, for another minute.
Add the courgette and cook for a further 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, blend the silken tofu through to the black salt in a blender. Add the chickpea flour, arrowroot and salt and pepper and blend briefly again.
Fold in a handful of chopped parsley.
Spread the vegetables evenly in the pan and pour the frittata batter over, spreading with a spatula so it is evenly distributed.
If cooking on the stovetop (this is what I usually do) cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Carefully slide onto a plate, flip the frittata and cook the reverse side for a further 15 minutes. It should be browned and firm to the touch.
Alternatively, place the pan in the oven and bake for approx 30 minutes at 180C/350F
Sprinkle liberally with sumac and fresh parsley to serve.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/04/04/vegan-persian-frittata/

For a light dinner, I served the frittata with a green salad and to carry on the Middle-Eastern feel I made another salad with beetroot and pomegranate. This one is a little sweet, a little tangy and a little spicy! It would be a tasty addition to a full-on Middle Eastern feast.

Beetroot-Pomegranate Salad

2014-04-04 14:11:20

Serves 4

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Ingredients

3-4 Medium beetroot
3/4 C Pomegranate arils
1/8 tsp Chili flakes
1 Tbsp Pomegranate molasses
2 Tbsp Lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 C Chopped fresh parsley OR coriander

Instructions

Scrub the beetroot, cut off the greens, wrap loosely in tin foil and bake at 200C/400F for 45 mins-1 hour, until very soft.
When cool enough to handle, rub the skins off with your fingers. They should come off easily if the beetroot is fully cooked.
Dice the beetroot and add to a bowl with the pomegranate arils. Mix the chili flakes through to the salt and pepper in a small bowl/jar. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir through the fresh herbs.

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Review & Giveaway: Super Healthy Snacks and Treats

“More than 60 easy recipes for energizing, delicious snacks free from gluten, dairy, refined sugar and eggs”. Sounds pretty good doesn’t it?

Well it is! “Super Healthy Snacks and Treats”, published earlier this year by Ryland Peters & Small, was written by Jenna Zoe, the founder of Foods to Love, the nutrition and recipe blog and online healthy products store. I discovered Jenna and her book via Instagram and was really excited to get my hands on a copy. It’s especially fantastic to see a UK-authored book of this kind. It seems the plant-based, healthy living scene is finally catching on here!

Facing nutrition information overload, I’m sure something a lot of us can relate to, Jenna set out to find a simple way of eating which left her feeling good. Her criteria for the foods she was going to eat were that:

- They had to be natural, whole foods that were minimally processed
- She had to love how they tasted.
- They had to suit her system. She paid close attention to what made her feel best.

The result of the experiment is this book! Jenna hopes to inspire us to make our own healthy eating guidelines and feel empowered to take the best care of ourselves.

All the dishes in the book are packed with nutrition, not to mention taste, colour and fun!

Most of the recipes are very easy to make with a few longer ones which look a little extra fancy, ideal for special occasions. I was familiar with almost all the ingredients and don’t think any listed are particularly uncommon, especially if you already avoid dairy and refined sugars and flours and are used to alternatives.

As well as the recipes there’s lots of useful information in here: a guide to essential ingredients and substitutions, tips and tricks, a how to use the book feature and Jenna’s “principles of healthy snacking”.

The recipe chapters are divided into Breakfasts, Power Snacks, Party Snacks, Dips & Dippers, Sweet Bites & Cookies & Bakes so there’s something for any time of the day.

Each recipe is accompanied by a little intro, where you’ll find more nuggets of useful info, and beautiful pictures which will make you want to get in the kitchen pronto!

This here is one of the insanely delicious Raw Mint Chocolate Tartlets. I don’t need to tell you again of my love for raw desserts but this one is honestly one of the best I’ve had. Even better is that they take less than 10 minutes to put together and only need 15 minutes to set. They are very rich so I’d recommend sharing one!

The publishers have generously allowed me to reprint this recipe here for you all to try immediately:

Raw Mint Chocolate Tartlets:

(Makes 4)

145g/1C Almonds
135g/3/4C Dates, stoned
2T Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut, OR more almonds
a pinch of salt
2t Coconut Oil

Mint Chocolate Filling

(to fill 2 tarts) *Note, the book also lists a key lime filling to fill the other 2 tart shells. Either double the filling for 4 tarts or halve the crust mixture for 2)

1 Large Banana
60ml/1/4C Coconut Oil
60ml/1/4C Pure Maple Syrup
40g/1/3C Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
6 Fresh Mint Leaves OR 1/2t Mint Extract

Put the almonds in a food processor and blitz until crumbly. Add the dates, desiccated coconut, salt and coconut oil and pulse until a smooth mixture forms. Remove the dough from the processor and divide it into 4. Press each portion into a tartlet mould so that it neatly lines the base and sides of the mould. Ideally you want the tartlet cases to be about 1cm/1/2inch thick all the way around, with plenty of room for the filling. Don’t worry if you have a little extra dough- you can roll this into bite-size energy balls and save for a healthy snack later on.

For the filling, make sure the coconut oil is liquid. If it isn’t put it in a saucepan over low heat and allow to melt. Allow to cool completely, otherwise the hot oil will start to cook the other ingredients in the filling,

Place the filling ingredients in the food processor, one set at a time, and blitz until smooth. Divide each filling between 2 tartlet cases and freeze for at least 15 minutes to set.

Raw tarts will keep, in the freezer, for up to 2 weeks, so they’re a great make-ahead option for tea and dinner parties.

Next up, Protein Pancakes. If there is a pancake recipe in any new cookbook I get then that will most likely be the first I try! These are made from gluten-free flour and a dose of vegan protein powder and were light and fluffy but very filling too. I’ll be making these regularly.

I like to cover a range of sections when reviewing a cookbook so thought I’d make something savoury to complement my sweet choices. A batch of some kind of dip in the fridge is always useful and there are several in the book to choose from. I opted for the Zucchini Hummus which is rich and satisfying, despite not having chickpeas in. It’s also a good alternative for those who have trouble digesting beans.

Along with the hummus I served some veggies and another one from the book, the Almond-Flax Crackers. These are so so scrumptious and put conventional cardboard-like crackers to shame. They’re completely grain-free so very nutrient-dense and with lots of flavour so I’d happily eat them on their own instead of crisps. I would definitely recommend doubling the batch as there’s no way this recipe serves the 8 specified!

There isn’t one recipe in the book that doesn’t appeal but I’ve somehow shortlisted a few for my “must try very soon” list! The Breakfast Salad, Creole Cauliflower, Sticky Carrot Bites and Baby Gem Lettuce Wraps with Homemade Sweet Chilli Sauce.

I hope you’re as excited about this book as I am and I’m thrilled to have one copy to GIVEAWAY to a very lucky reader. To enter, do any one or all of the following things and leave a comment for each letting me know that you have done so. The more you do the more chances to win you have! I am sending the book personally so this giveaway is open WORLDWIDE!

**GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED**

1. Leave a comment on this post
2. “Like” Coconut and Berries on Facebook
3. Subscribe to Coconut and Berries by email
4. “Follow” me on Twitter
5. “Follow” @FoodstoLove on Twitter
6. “Follow” @RylandPeters on Twitter
7. Tweet about the giveaway and post the url in the comments.

Giveaway ends Thursday 4th December 12am GMT. Winner will be picked randomly and contacted by email within 48 hours of the closing time.

“Super Healthy Snacks and Treats” is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.uk as well as through Jenna’s site “Foods to Love”

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes, but, as always, all opinions are my own.

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P.S. Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends for tomorrow!

Review & Giveaway: “tibits at home”

If you saw my last post you’ll know that I had a lovely meal at tibits vegetarian restaurant last week. I don’t know when I’ll next be able to make an escape to London to visit again, but, luckily for me, tibits have their own cookbook so I can recreate the restaurant’s dishes at home!

(All images are my own)

The book “tibits at home: stylish vegetarian cuisine” was released last year and features 50 recipes in total, many for dishes you’ll see on tibit’s “food boat” as well as some new ones too. The book is divided into four seasonal sections, reflecting the importance tibits pays to seasonal ingredients in their restaurant. Although the book is not exclusively vegan, the recipes using dairy and eggs are are mostly easy to veganize with a few simple substitutions.

The book pretty accurately reflects the way I like to eat- whole foods and interesting flavours, with influence from cuisines around the world. The book definitely wouldn’t look out of place on an elegant coffee table as the pictures, at least one for each recipe, are simply stunning.

I like to try out a few recipes before reviewing books so headed to the autumn and winter sections and chose 3 dishes.

Since I’m back into pasta I honed in on the “Linguine with pumpkin and chard”. This recipe as written isn’t actually vegan but I swapped out the double cream for canned coconut milk and found it still plenty rich for me. The sauce is lovely and lemony and lightens up this winter-warmer.

You might remember I mentioned a “dried green bean salad” we sampled from the “food boat” at the restaurant. As this is one of their signature dishes it’s featured in the cookbook and they actually sell the beans themselves- I, of course, had to pick up a bag.

After a soak and a simmer for half an hour they rehydrate but keep a satisfying, chewy texture. A balsamic marinade, a generous helping of walnuts and some sautéed onion is all that’s needed to turn them into something special.

I thought I’d make a sort of pick ‘n’ mix lunch with a few different dishes, like our meal at the restaurant, so opted for a second salad to have with the dried bean dish. I’d just recently picked up some Camargue rice to try so the “Red Rice Salad” was an obvious choice.

If you haven’t tried this variety of rice I’d recommend you do. Brown rice is a staple in my diet but this is quite different. It has a stronger flavour and a bit more bite to it. The dish was well-spiced but not overly so, making it ideal to serve alongside a couple of other salads.

Tibits have kindly agreed to let me share this recipe with you:

Red Rice Salad:

160g(1C) Camargue Rice
1 Red & 1 Yellow Pepper
1 Courgette
1 Bunch of Parsley
2T Rapeseed Oil
3T White Balsamic Vinegar (You can find this in most well-stocked supermarkets)
1t Chilli Oil (I used a pinch of chili flakes instead)
1t Fine Sea Salt
1T Tomato Paste
1/2t Hot Curry Powder
1/2t Mild Paprika
1/2t Ground Coriander
1/2t Ground Cumin

Method

1 Bring the salted water to the boil, add the rice and cook for 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve and chill under running cold water. Rinse well.

2 Chop peppers and courgettes into 1 cm dice.

3 Wash the parsley, shake well and chop finely.

4 Put the remaining ingredients into a bowl and mix well, add the rice.

5 Add vegetables and parsley, mix well and refrigerate.

Tip: rice grown in the French Camargue region, gets its red colour from the high clay content of the soil. Camargue rice is untreated and unmilled ’brown’ rice. It has a mild nutty flavour and stays grainy when cooked. Alternatively, you can use Riso Venere (Italian black rice) for this recipe.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

It’s GIVEAWAY time! Tibits are offering a copy of the cookbook to one UK reader. To enter, do any one or all of the following things and leave a comment for each letting me know that you have done so. The more you do the more chances to win you have!

1. Leave a comment on this post

2. “Like” Coconut and Berries on Facebook

3. “Follow” me on Twitter

4. Tweet about the giveaway and post the url in the comments.

Giveaway ends Thursday 21st November 12am GMT. Winner will be picked randomly and contacted by email within 48 hours of the closing time.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes, but, as always, all opinions are my own.

Hope to see you all back here on Saturday for the Virtual Vegan Potluck. I’m in the “dessert” category! Can’t wait to share my recipe.

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Home-Grown

I enjoyed the luxury of plenty of free-time this summer after my exams, and spent a lot of it in two of my favourite places- the kitchen and the garden!

Of course it’s pretty clear that I love cooking. But I do love being outside too and getting my hands covered in soil rather than flour for a change. I get a real thrill out of seeing something grow from virtually nothing and get pretty excited about the appearance of a new courgette or a tomato turning red. The resulting meals consisting almost entirely of home-grown vegetables are a lovely bonus.

I promised I would share some pictures of my garden, but, with the whirlwind of Vegan MoFo, didn’t get to doing so before it all got started. I thought I’d take the opportunity to post them now it’s all over and while we’re still enjoying the novelty of autumn vegetables, not yet pining after the long-gone summer!

Sweet peas are the scent of summer! There was always a little vase of them on the kitchen table.

The flowers are my Mum’s domain. I try my best to learn all their names, but somehow always forget them… Our roses are especially beautiful.

The piles of green beans I was picking daily got bigger and bigger and admittedly we struggled to stay on top of them.

We actually grew these borlotti beans last year but they were too pretty not to share. We didn’t end up with a huge amount and I don’t really know how to use them fresh like this so we didn’t sow any more seeds this year. Tomatoes! What would summer be without them? We grew 3 varieties- my favourite were these little cherry tomatoes- sakura and orange paruche. They were like sweets, and, warm off the vine were heavenly. We had so many that I ended up making a few batches of slow-roasted tomatoes with them as well.I think every gardener experiences a case of courgette fatigue by the end of summer. They just don’t stop producing! I got a little cross that the muntjac deer kept sneaking up at night and chomping them, but after a while I was actually grateful for fewer courgettes to deal with!Plenty of salad leaves. I love these crunchy little gem lettuces which we grow every year.It was fantastic to have our own beetroot, even if we didn’t have an awful lot. I think I mostly roasted them in tin foil and then ate them in salads. Though I’m sure I made my favourite tahini beetroot recipe with them, and there was Gena’s delicious beetroot-hemp granola too.

We were given the seeds for these squash so never really knew what variety they were. They seemed to be a hybrid summer/winter squash though. They had thick skins but the flesh was softer than most winter squash. It was fun to see them changing colour- first the stripes appeared and then they went yellow!

We discovered these little critters up near the house, trapped under a grate. Mr Frog……

…and Mr Toad! We put them in a bucket and took them down to the water.

There were so many butterflies this summer! They fly too quickly to take photos of though but I thought this spiky caterpillar was rather fun. (Update: Apparently he would have grown into a “Tussock moth” )

We don’t grow fruit usually (although there are plans to try some soft fruit next year apparently) but did try out these this year.

Do you know what it is? It’s a physalis/cape gooseberry/Inca berry. There are various names for them and I’d only seen them before as a garnish on dessert plates. Sadly they never ripened, even in the greenhouse and with all the sunshine we had.

This little plum tree was a new addition this year. We did really well from it and got a lot of fruit, despite its size. Most of these were eaten fresh but, combined with a neighbour’s fruit they also got turned into my Maple-Oat Crumble.

We do have wild blackberries galore . I picked several batches of them to go in the freezer to be turned into apple and blackberry compote, crumbles and smoothies. There are still some in there from 2012 though!

Alfie likes them too! We both enjoyed them out on our walks.

A few teeny-tiny wild strawberries were discovered too. These were very sweet-tasting as well as cute.

If only! Perhaps I was making up for the fact that we can’t grow citrus or bananas here in crocheting my own!

Did you grow your own vegetables this year? What summer vegetable are you going to miss most in the autumn/winter? Hopefully you’re not missing it already!

I’ll be back with a foodie post tomorrow!